System and method for remote acquisition and delivery of goods

ABSTRACT

A system and method for remote acquisition and delivery of goods includes a server in communication with customer computers, such as through a user interface via the internet. The server can store customer information including billing information, and may include a real-time video processor. A mobile delivery system in communication with the server includes an energy efficient vehicle, a real-time video device, a global positioning system, a communication device and a printer. In use, a customer communicates with a mobile delivery agent via the real-time video device and the communication device to remotely acquire a product. Once acquired, the delivery agent delivers the product to a designated delivery location. The real-time video device can be utilized during the entire transaction. The system preferably includes a processor for optimizing system efficiencies, including selecting a delivery agent based on the product, pick-up location and delivery site.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention represents a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/711,867 entitled “System and Method for RemoteAcquisition and Delivery of Goods” filed Feb. 24, 2010 which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/237,128entitled “System and Method for Remote Shopping and Delivery” filed Aug.26, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to customer shopping and, moreparticularly, to a system and method for remote acquisition and deliveryof goods.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Electronic commerce via the internet is rapidly becoming a standardmethod by which customers purchase goods remotely for delivery to alocation of the customer's choice. However, there are many potentialproblems associated with ordering goods over the internet. For example,most internet retailers rely on third-party services, such as UPS andFederal Express, to deliver the products purchased on their web sites.From an environmental standpoint, delivering select, goods purchasedover the internet to individual customers using conventional methodscreates a large carbon footprint, and is often not cost effective. Forexample, when various goods are transported from one or more warehousesacross the country to individual customers, rather than to a singlestore from where the items can be purchased, certain inefficiencies arerealized.

Perhaps more important, many customers are opposed to internet shopping.For instance, customers who are particular about style, quality oractual function, may wish to further view or otherwise examine an itembefore purchasing. Often, a picture may not be available for the item orthe picture will be inadequate to accurately depict the item. For thisreason, the customer may simply refuse to purchase over the internet orperhaps may purchase an item and then return the same after the item islater examined. Obviously, this purchasing scenario is also inefficient.

Additionally, there currently exists no good solution for an individualto receive immediate delivery of desired goods. For example, if anelderly person is in pain in the middle of the night and is not able todrive to a pharmacy to obtain medication, there is generally no deliveryservice readily available to acquire the medication and deliver it tothe person's home. Further, in regard to public safety, if an individualis intoxicated and it is illegal for him to do an errand, theregenerally exists no cost effective solution for immediate remotepurchase and delivery of goods.

Based on at least these reasons, there is seen to be a need in the artfor a remote acquisition and delivery system which provides a customerwith detailed information needed to make an informed purchase oracquisition, and which, provides rapid delivery of the goods withoutcreating a large carbon footprint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system and method for remoteacquisition and delivery of goods. The system includes a server incommunication with customer computers or devices via a website on theinternet or through a network. The server stores customer informationincluding billing information, and may preferably includes a real-timevideo processor. A mobile delivery agent system in communication withthe server includes an energy efficient vehicle, a real-time videodevice, a global positioning system (GPS), a communication device and aprinter.

In use, a customer contacts a service provider through the remoteacquisition and delivery system and registers to use the system. Onceregistered, the user provides the service provider with informationregarding the type of product desired and the shopping or acquisitionlocation from which the user desires to purchase or otherwise obtain theproduct. A mobile delivery agent in close proximity to the shoppinglocation will receive the request for purchase or acquisition from thesystem, and the delivery agent will proceed to the shopping location.The UPS preferably tracks the delivery agent, and provides navigationalinformation to the delivery agent. The real-time video device isutilized to deliver real-time video of the delivery agent on the way tothe location, as well as video captured during execution of a purchaseprocess. The customer is allowed to interact with the delivery agent toinspect the product remotely using the real-time video device and thecommunications device. Once a purchase or acquisition is approved, thedelivery agent acquires the product on behalf of the customer anddelivers the product to a designated delivery location. The printer isutilized to produce an invoice and any other transaction documents fordelivery to the customer, or documents are mailed to the customer bystandard mail or electronic mail. The system preferably includes one ormore processors for optimizing efficiencies of the system andcalculating the most efficient use of delivery agents based on theshopping location and the delivery site.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with thedrawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts inthe several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the remote acquisition and deliverysystem of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting steps involved in a preferred method ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting additional steps involved in apreferred method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a remote acquisition and delivery systemconstructed in accordance with the present invention is indicated at 10.A services provider is equipped with at least one server 14 incommunication with a wide area network (WAN), such as the internet 18. Auser accesses a user interface 22, such as a website or cable televisionnetwork screen through WAN or internet 18 via a customer computer 30. Itshould be understood that customer computer 30 can be any type of devicefor communication with user interface 22, such as a personal computerincluding a browser 26, a television or a cell phone or other mobiledevice. For example, the user interface 22 may be installed as anapplication on the user's mobile device, such as the user's iPhone™,Blackberry or other PDA. Preferably, system 10 makes use of emerging“blended services” technologies including integrated voice, video anddata features which are always “on”, giving users the ability to movefrom one function to another during a communication session. Thisblended services technology may be in the form of a digital televisionwhich allows for software to be utilized for viewing entertainment andinternet applications.

A plurality of databases are stored within server 14. For example,customer data is stored in a customer database 34 on server 14, andbilling information is stored in billing database 35. A real-time videoprocessor 38 is also preferably associated with server 14. Server 14 isin contact with a plurality of mobile delivery agent systems, such asindicated at 42. Each mobile system 42 preferably includes a real-timevideo device 46, a global positioning system (GPS) 47, a communicationssystem or device 48 and a printer 49. GPS 47 is preferably utilized totrack a mobile delivery agent, as well as provide navigationalinformation to the delivery agent as will be discussed in more detailbelow. Communications system 48 preferably includes an on-board computerand transceiver system for wirelessly accessing a wide area network orvirtual private network (VPN) and system servers. In the preferredembodiment of the invention, mobile system 42 also includes an energyefficient vehicle, such as an electric or hybrid car or other vehicle 50as the means for transporting the system. Although each of the devices46-49 can be separate, in a preferred embodiment one or more of devices46-49 are incorporated into vehicle 50, or are in the form of one ormore portable devices. In one embodiment, delivery agents will carry abattery pack(s) to supply power to devices 46-49. Such a battery pack(s)are preferably incorporated into belts or into the uniform of a deliveryagent.

Each vehicle 50 preferably includes an outdoor advertising kit 51enabling the services provider to selectively advertise for themselves,or others. Additionally, vehicles 50 can be outfitted with other toolsor accessories, such as a dolly 52 for delivering large purchases to acustomer. In one embodiment, a plurality of different sized vehicles 50are provided, allowing for more flexibility in delivering oversized orlarge numbers of products/goods. For example, the customer will have theoption of utilizing a delivery agent having a mini-vehicle, a mid-sizedvan, a large van or an extra large moving van. Additionally, eachvehicle 50 in communication with server 14 is preferably equipped with akill switch which may be remotely activated by the services provider ofsystem 10. Optionally, vehicle 50 is provided with at least onehide-away seat which is utilized to transport a customer(s) and/or thecustomer's pet, such as when a customer wishes to accompany a deliveryagent to view a product in person or when a customer needs to take hisor her pet to the vet or boarding house. Further, a secure pick-upservice for customers with accompanying membership cards may be providedfor a fee, similar to an AAA membership for road side assistance.

A method for utilizing system 10 will now be discussed with reference toFIG. 2. Initially, if a customer wishes to contact the services providerfor system 10, the customer registers with the services provider byfirst contacting the service provide through user interface 22 and WAN18, as indicated at 100. If the customer is a new user, the customerthen registers with the services provider at 101 and the customerinformation is stored in customer database 34. Optionally, the customerregisters by other means, such as mailing in an application.Registration preferably includes gathering billing information from thecustomer, such as a credit card number or other desired billing method,as well as indicating one or more delivery addresses. In one embodiment,information on the location of a customer is transmitted from acustomer's smart phone or UPS enabled phone or device to system 10. Inthis way, the delivery address of a customer can be obtained without theneed for the customer or the service provider to physically type in thedelivery location information. Preferably, a credit check of thecustomer is conducted at 102 prior to the customer being approved as aregistered customer, and the customer is pre-approved for a particularcredit amount at step 103. When a customer requests services, apre-authorization check is conducted, such as by charging an amount to acustomer's designated charge account, in order to verify that funds areavailable. In a preferred embodiment, customer database 34 additionalstores customer history of use data, which may be utilized inconjunction with a loyalty program similar to a frequent-flyer typeprogram. The customer database 34 may also store a customer's recurringorder as set up and managed by the customer. The customer database 34may also track a customer's previous purchase information which may behelpful in allowing the system to suggest a repeated order or arecurring order to the customer. The customer database 34 may keep suchprofile information or historical information which may be utilized tosuggest purchases to a customer.

Preferably, a membership card or other information is sent to thecustomer upon registration. The customer then logs into system 10 viawebsite 22 at step 104 utilizing a user name and password generatedduring registration. The customer is next provided with informationregarding the location of a plurality of delivery agents. Morespecifically, the customer may enter in the area he or she is interestedin obtaining services through utilizing a user interface, such as byentering his or her local zip code or the address of a store where adesired product is being sold at step 105, using an input device (e.g.,keyboard) of user interface 22, Next, information regarding the locationand status of delivery agents in the desired area is displayed on adisplay screen of user interface 22 at step 106, and the user has theoption of selecting the delivery agent of his or her choice. Forexample, a map of the local area where the customer is located appearsshowing the location of one or more delivery agents in close proximityto the shopping and/or delivery location. A user may be able to zoom inand zoom out on this map. Indicia for the delivery agents are preferablycolor coded to indicate the status of the delivery agent as indicated atstep 107. For example, a green dot on the map indicates a delivery agentwho is available, a red dot indicates a delivery agent who is currentlyfilling an order, and a yellow dot indicates a delivery agent who is onstandby, such as a large delivery van driver who may work from a homebase, or a vehicle that is recharging or refueling. In one embodiment,the customer has access to information regarding the type of vehicleeach delivery agent is driving, and may base his or her selection on thetype of vehicle desired for the pickup/delivery, or may select aparticular delivery agent based on the customer's preference for theparticular delivery agent. In one embodiment, delivery agent profilesare available for customers to review. Such profiles may include, forexample, a picture of the delivery agent with a short biography, a listof any particular areas of expertise, other customers' remarks, ratingsor feedback regarding the delivery agent, or the like.

Preferably, the user specifies the exact location from which theselected delivery agent is to purchase or otherwise acquire the product,such as a retail store location. Alternatively, system 10 calculates theclosest location from which to make the purchase based on the selecteddelivery agent's current location and the location of the customer. Suchcalculation may be done manually, utilizing GPS 47, utilizing processor54 or through some other means. Preferably, store locations are selectedin a manner which optimizes efficiencies and reduces vehicle operatingcosts by selecting store locations that reduce travel time for theselected delivery agent both to the store and during delivery to thecustomer.

In one embodiment, if no delivery agent is in the immediate areaselected, the map will zoom out to encompass a larger area until one ormore delivery agents appear on the map. As set forth above, in a firstembodiment, a customer selects the delivery agent based on a variety offactors such as location, availability, or preference for a particularagent, as indicated at step 108. Alternatively, a processor 54 includinga decision algorithm is utilized to select a delivery agent for thecustomer, as indicated at step 109. For example, a selection of adelivery agent may be made to enable a delivery agent to obtain goodsfor more than one customer in a single trip or to minimize the totalnumber of miles traveled by the plurality of delivery agents.Alternatively, a delivery agent manager may select the most appropriatedelivery agent for the user, given the desired area and status ofdelivery agents in the desired area.

As shown in FIG. 3, once the desired delivery agent is selected at steps108 or 109, a customer shopping or acquisition request and profile issent to the delivery agent at step 110, and a communications link isestablished between the customer and the selected delivery agent at step111, such as through a telephone or internet connection. Preferably, thecustomer account information is sent to a communications device 48 inthe form of a portable Internet device or an onboard display unitlocated in the agent's vehicle 50. The portable internet device oronboard display unit may be voice, data and video enabled and utilizeinternet protocol. The request for a particular product is sent to theselected delivery agent, along with the desired shopping location. Thecustomer profile preferably includes the credit limit available forpurchases. The customer's profile may also include information relatedto a customer's order history.

In one embodiment, the customer first finds information on a product andlocation of a store or conducts cost-comparisons of products utilizingan internet search engine or cost comparison website. A website toolallows the user to select the delivery services of system 10, whereinsystem 10 gathers information from the results of the internet searchengine or website in order to generate a request for services orshopping request. In a preferred embodiment, widgets are provided forother websites, such as classified ads or internet retailers, for easein data transmission to server 14 and individual delivery agents. Forexample, a customer will simply click on a widget indicating the serviceprovider of system 10 on a website in order to view the closest vehicle50 to the shopping location depicted on the user interface 22 beingviewed by the customer. The pick-up destination and map areautomatically captured and transmitted to a selected delivery agent'svehicle, along with an approximate cost estimate for the customer. Inaddition, system 10 preferably allows a user to rate retailers and/orsellers and post comments. In one embodiment, user interface 22 providesthe customer with targeted advertising related to the particulargeographic region of the customer delivery and/or pick-up location.Additionally, retail sales alerts and value alerts for locations ofinterest are preferably displayed on user interface 22. In oneembodiment, system 10 enables customers to post classified ads for usedgoods, wherein delivery services associated with system 10 can beutilized by customers to shop for the used goods remotely and have theused goods delivered to a desired delivery site as will be explained inmore detail below.

A purchase order or acquisition request is scheduled for a particulardate and/or time, or is requested as needed by the customer. In apreferred embodiment, once an order is scheduled, a price estimate ofservices is sent to the customer for approval before proceeding with thetransaction as indicated at step 112. Such an estimate is generated, forexample, based on the estimated driving time for the delivery agent anda service charge for purchase and delivery of a desired product.Optionally, a user may choose to share a trip, in which case multiplecustomers will utilize the same delivery agent to purchase products atthe same location. In this embodiment, the status of the delivery agentsposted on user interface 22 includes the shopping location the deliveryagent is traveling to, as well as the time the delivery agent will be atthe shopping location. With this information, customers within the samegeographic region may choose to utilize the same delivery agent.Although the method of the present invention discussed in more detailbelow only references a single customer, it should be understood thatany additional customer that selects the same agent will also send anacquisition request to system 10; wherein the agent will electronicallytransfer an image of the requested goods using real-time video device46, in the same manner as described with respect to the first customer.The agent may then acquire the second set of goods for the secondcustomer and make a second delivery trip to a delivery locationspecified by the second customer. In some situations, an agent may beable to obtain goods for multiple customers from one shopping locationin a single trip. In this situation, greater efficiencies are realizedand discounts may be offered to customers who participate in the sharedpick-up event. In one embodiment, a customer may be able to pay apremium for a faster delivery. In such a scenario, a selection of adelivery agent may be made to accommodate the customer who has paid thepremium instead of to maximize the overall efficiency of the deliveryagents for multiple customers.

Once a store location is selected, the selected delivery agent travelsto the store location as indicated at step 113, and finds the desiredproduct to be acquired. Ideally, real-time video device 46 is utilizedto provide a streaming “street view” for the customer's entertainmentand to show the progress of the delivery agent as indicated at 114.Additionally, GPS 47 is utilized with digital mapping technology todynamically update the customer as to the location of the deliveryagent. In one embodiment, once the delivery agent arrives at theselected location as indicated at 115, the delivery agent activates awearable real-time video device 46, which provides the customer with areal-time view of the selected location as seen by the delivery agent.In one embodiment, system 10 sends short message service (sms) alerts tothe customer or initiate voice communication with the customer when adelivery agent is leaving vehicle 50 to enter a location so that thecustomer can multi-task without worrying about the status of thedelivery agent, as indicated at 116. The delivery agent then enters theshopping location and identifies the product of interest. The deliveryagent then communicates to the customer that the product has beenidentified, and the customer has the option of inspecting the product inreal-time at 117. If the customer chooses to inspect the product, thecustomer will communicate instructions to the delivery agent at 118, andthe delivery agent will utilize real-time video device 46 to transmitreal-time data to customer computer 30. In a preferred embodiment,instructions are in the form of several pre-approved commands. Forexample, the customer may request that the delivery agent zoom-in on aparticular feature, zoom out, pan right or pan left. Such pre-approvedcommands will minimize miscommunications between the customer and thedelivery agent.

Next, the customer either approves or rejects acquisition of theinspected product. If the product is rejected, the customer has thechoice of inspecting another product or terminating the service. Oncethe service is terminated, fees for the services provided are calculatedas will be discussed in more detail below. If the customer requestsfurther shopping, the delivery agent will move to other similar productsor may travel to another location in search of a satisfactory product.Of course, the customer may choose to terminate the acquisition servicesat any time, as indicated at 119. If the product is approved at 120, thedelivery agent will purchase or otherwise acquire the product on behalfof the customer at 121 and deliver the product based on the deliveryoptions specified in the customer's profile, or amended deliveryinstructions provided by the customer at the beginning of a particularshopping request or at some time during a particular shopping request.In one embodiment, the customer may select a curbside drop-off of goods,or may request “white glove” delivery, in which case the delivery agentwill deliver the product directly to the customer's door or desiredphysical location. Further, the location of the customer, and thus thedelivery location, may be obtained directly from the customer's GPSenabled device or smart phone as previously discussed. Additionally, thecustomer request may include a request for product pickup. For example,upon delivery of goods to the customer, the delivery agent may pick uprecyclable products (e.g., cans, bottles, consumer electronics, etc.),which the delivery agent will transport to a recycling facility.

If the customer is not qualified for the amount of the desired purchase,or if the delivery agent cannot complete the transaction for any reason,the customer is notified that the acquisition cannot be made asindicated at 122. It should be understood that this step can be providedat any time during the service period whenever it is established thatthe purchase price is outside of the pre-approved credit limit.Alternatively, the customer has the option of paying the retailer orseller directly, in which case the customer will only be billed for thepick-up and delivery services provided. For payment by proxy, thedelivery agent may utilize printer 49 to produce a pre-authorizationpurchasing document including billing information which allows thedelivery agent to pay at pick-up. If pre-purchased by the customer, thedelivery agent obtains a receipt showing proof of pre-payment by thecustomer. In one example, if a customer wishes a delivery agent topick-up a used good(s), such as from a yard sale, the delivery agentdebits the customer's credit card for the amount of the purchase price,and upon successfully receiving funds from the customer account,utilizes printer 49 to print out a check as legal tender for the goodsto be purchased.

In a preferred embodiment, printer 49 is also utilized to print out aninvoice for the amount of time the delivery agent was engaged, distancetraveled, purchased product and shopping services rendered, as indicatedat 123. The product is then delivered along with the invoice and anyother paperwork (e.g., receipts) to the customer or the selecteddelivery site as indicated at 124 and 125. Preferably, the invoice ispackaged and attached to the purchased product. In one embodiment, theinvoice includes a map having the route traveled during the shoppingrequest and delivery highlighted, with an accompanying time history. Ifno product is purchased and no delivery is made, an invoice for servicesrendered may be generated utilizing billing database 35 and informationprovided by the delivery agent, with the invoice being sent to thecustomer either electronically (e.g., via a designated email address) orthrough standard mail delivery methods. The services rendered may becharged directly to a designated customer credit card, or utilizing someother designated electronic payment method. In one embodiment of theinvention, each delivery agent has his or her own designated checkingaccount and/or credit card which is utilized to purchase the desiredgoods and the customer is billed for services and product purchased upondelivery of the product to the customer.

Real-time video device 46 is preferably utilized throughout thetransaction to show the location of the delivery agent as the agent isdriving to a desired purchase location, to show the product at thepurchase location, and to verify delivery of the product to the customerat the designated delivery location. Preferably, video footage is storedon server 14 and can be accessed for delivery agent evaluation, forliability and public safety purposes, for delivery agent history ordispute resolution purposes, for example. However, in anotherembodiment, historic customer information is utilized for rapid requestorders. More specifically, a customer can place an order through server14, and server 14 will send the order to a deliver agent without theneed for the customer to select a delivery agent or communicate with thedelivery agent. This feature can be particularly useful when a customerwishes to obtain previously ordered items such as prescriptionmedications or groceries. In this case, the customer may be sent analert through customer computer 30 when the delivery agent is nearingthe delivery location.

Based on the above, it should be understood that the present inventionprovides a system for remote acquisition and delivery of goods thatsupplies a customer with the detailed information needed to make aninformed purchase or acquisition remotely, and provides rapid same-daydelivery of goods without creating a large carbon footprint. In oneembodiment, system 10 calculates the reduction in carbon emissions fromutilizing the service, or from selecting a particular delivery agent. Itis contemplated that various retailers may work in conjunction with theservices provider of system 10 to promote the use of the environmentallyfriendly services of the provider through displays indicating that theretails work with the service provider. In one embodiment, for example,a registered customer may opt-in for liquidation alerts fromparticipating retailers. Additionally, participating retailers mayprovide in-house gear for staff or delivery agents, such as glasses withan embedded real-time video processor 46 and a communications device 48to enable staff or delivery agents entering the retail establishments tocommunicate with a customer. Alternatively, participating retailers mayprovide point-of-view (POV) cameras within the retail establishmentwhich are connected to the internet and can be accessed by customersthrough system 10 so that the customers may view products within a storeprior to engaging a mobile delivery agent.

In one exemplary embodiment, a customer generates an e-shopping “wish”list for desired products utilizing system 10. The e-shopping list canbe created manually by a user typing in his or her request into a userinterface (e.g. keyboard) of computer 30. Alternatively, the e-shoppinglist can be created utilizing an image and data capture device, such asa camera, and transferring the data to server 14 for processing. Morespecifically, a customer may travel to a retail establishment and,either utilizing in-house gear provided by the retail establishment orutilizing person equipment, such as a camera or bar code scanningdevice, record which products the customer may be interested inobtaining at a future time. For each product on the list, the customersends information regarding the product such as pictures, video,instructions, recipes, specifications, ingredients, where manufactured,etc. to server 14. This e-shopping list is then made available to thecustomer upon logging into system 10. Preferably, a selected deliveryagent may retrieve the customer's e-shopping list and check items offthe list as they are obtained utilizing communications device 48 or someother device communicating with server 14. In this way, a customer canview the updates to their e-shopping list in real-time through theircomputer's connection to server 14. Additionally, data or imagescaptured by real-time video processor 46, or the customer's ownequipment (e.g., camera), may be utilized by server 14 to generateproduct reviews on the particular product of interest or to check theinternet for digital coupons associated with the product. The productreviews may be accessed by the customer through system 10, and thedigital coupons may be viewed and accessed by the customer or theselected delivery agent and used in the purchase of the desired product.Such coupons may be printed by the selected delivery agent utilizingprinter 49, for example.

Although described with reference to preferred embodiments of theinvention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/ormodifications can be made to the invention without departing from thespirit thereof. For instance, although discussed in the context of acustomer who wishes to purchase a product, it should be understood thatsystem 10 may be utilized to schedule both pick-ups and delivery of anytype of goods, including free goods. In one embodiment, system 10 willbe utilized to arrange for disposal services for a customer, such astrash removal or hazardous materials removal. For example, a customermay wish for a delivery agent to purchase and deliver a new waterheater, but may also wish for the delivery agent to carry away the oldwater heater or arrange for a third-party pickup of the water heater. Inthis situation, the delivery agent may arrange for a local trash serviceto perform a one-time pick-up of the old water heater. In anotherexample, a customer may utilize a delivery agent in a different countryor city in order to shop remotely for a desired product, and thedelivery agent may arrange for a third party delivery service totransport the product to the customer. In another example, a deliveryagent might be engaged to view a real estate listing and providereal-time video remote viewing of the property. Further, the steps forthe methods of remote acquisition and delivery of goods described hereindo not necessarily need to be in the order in which they are presentedabove. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by thescope of the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A system for remote acquisition and delivery of one or moregoods based on an acquisition request from a customer through aninteractive interface for processing the acquisition request comprising:a customer computer having a user interface; at least one server incommunication with a wide area network; a plurality of mobile deliveryagent systems in communication with the at least one server, each of theplurality of delivery agent systems being configured for use with arespective purchasing and delivery agent for a shopping event andincluding: a real-time video device configured to send one or moreimages in real-time to the customer from the respective agent, whereinthe real-time video device is configured to enable the customer to beprovided with progress information via real-time imaging of the one ormore images from the respective agent through the customer computerduring performance of the acquisition request, including viewing the oneor more goods from a pick-up site for the one or more goods; acommunications device configured to establish direct communicationbetween the customer and the respective agent to enable the customer toprovide a communicated approval for the agent to immediately purchasethe one or more goods viewed by the customer in connection withcompleting the acquisition request: a global positioning systemconfigured to provide location data to the at least one server; and aselectable widget for a website configured to retrieve data submitted byat least one of the mobile delivery agent systems to the at least oneserver and generate a view of the one or more goods at the pick-up siteassociated with a third party vendor together with at least the datasubmitted to the at least one server by the mobile delivery agentsystem.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofdelivery agent systems further comprises a mobile printer for providingthe customer a receipt for the acquisition request.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one server includes a customer databasefor storing customer information.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein theat least one server includes a processor adapted to select one of theplurality of agents for the acquisition request based, at least in part,on current location information of each of the respective agentsrelative to the pick-up site at the time the acquisition request isentered.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofmobile delivery agent systems further includes an energy efficient,hybrid or electric vehicle, wherein the real-time video device and thecommunications device are configured to be linked to the customercomputer from within the energy efficient, hybrid or electric vehicle.6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is adapted toreceive the acquisition request from the customer over the wide areanetwork.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition requestspecifies a delivery site and the system is further configured with atleast one server including a processor adapted to select one of theplurality of delivery agents for the acquisition request based, at leastin part, on the location of each delivery agent relative to the deliverysite and present the server selection to the customer.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one server includes a processor adapted toselect one of the plurality of agents to complete the acquisitionrequest based, at least in part, on location information of therespective agents relative to the shopping event at the time theacquisition request is entered and availability status of the respectiveagent.
 9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioningsystem in communication with the at least one server, with the globalpositioning system providing location information to the customer on therespective agent.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the customercomputer having the user interface is configured to display therespective agent's location and real-time images.
 11. A system forremote acquisition and delivery of one or more goods based on anacquisition request from a customer through an interactive interface forprocessing the acquisition request comprising: a plurality of mobiledelivery agent systems configured with at least a global positioningsystem providing location information to at least one server; aselectable widget for a third party vendor website configured toretrieve data submitted by the plurality of mobile delivery agentsystems to the at least one server and to generate a view of a pick-upsite associated with the third party vendor together with at least thedata submitted to the at least one server by the plurality of mobiledelivery agent systems including current locations of the mobiledelivery agent systems; a display for displaying to the customer atleast the generated view; an input configured to receive the acquisitionrequest and a selection made by the customer of one of the plurality ofdelivery agent systems representing delivery agents; communication meansfor processing the acquisition request from the customer andestablishing direct communication between the customer and the selecteddelivery agent during both the acquisition and delivery of the one ormore goods to the customer; and a real-time video means for sending atleast one image to the customer through the communication means andtransmitting real-time data to the display for the customer to view theone or more goods and the respective agent's progress during performanceof the acquisition request.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein thereal-time video means displays the agent's view of the one or moregoods.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the display is configured topresent the location of the agent during performance of the acquisitionrequest, including viewing data from the agent at a shopping and pick-upsite, data from a shopping event, and travel data from the agent duringtravel to a designated delivery site.
 14. A system for remoteacquisition and delivery of one or more goods based on an acquisitionrequest from a customer through an interactive interface for processingthe acquisition request comprising: a customer computer having a userinterface and configured to establish a local communication link betweenthe customer and a mobile agent for purposes of the acquisition request;a mobile agent system configured for use by the mobile agent for ashopping event established based on the acquisition request, said mobileagent system including: means for sending one or more images inreal-time to the customer from the mobile agent through the localcommunication link and providing the customer with progress informationvia real-time imaging of the one or more images from the mobile agent tothe customer computer during performance of the acquisition request,including viewing the one or more goods from a pick-up site for the oneor more goods during the shopping event; communication means,establishing direct communication between the customer and the mobileagent, for communicating approval by the customer to the mobile agent inconnection with completing the acquisition request; a global positioningsystem configured to provide location data through the localcommunication link; and a selectable widget for a vendor websiteconfigured to retrieve data submitted by at least one of the mobiledelivery agent systems through the local communication link and generatea view of the one or more goods at the pick-up site associated with athird party vendor together with at least the data submitted through thelocal communication link by the mobile delivery agent system.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the computer interface is configured todisplay the generated view including the respective delivery agent'sprogress during performance of the acquisition request, includingviewing data from the mobile agent at the pick-up site, data from theshopping event, and travel data from the mobile agent during travel to adesignated delivery site.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the widgetis further configured to establish the local communication link betweenthe customer and the mobile agent for the acquisition request of the oneor more goods.